HUNDREDS of mourners from the world of politics, business and the GAA gathered at St Michael’s Church, Blackrock, Cork, yesterday for the funeral of former city manager Jack Higgins.
Some of his 14 grandchildren brought gifts to the altar signifying the life of the man, who died last Saturday after a short illness.
The gifts represented his love of music, crosswords, gardening, tennis and bridge, which Mr Higgins took up in later life.
Blackrock PP Fr TadhgÓ Mathuna said Jack Higgins was a personal friend whom he would sorely miss. "He was a good friend to many and he always treated people with great kindness and courtesy," Fr O Mathuna said.
He said Mr Higgins was always prepared to advise people and had been very supportive of the parish during the renovations to St Michael’s Church.
The former city manager was also heavily involved in his local GAA club and county board committees.
Jerry O’Sullivan and Frank Murphy, chairman and secretary respectively of the county board, attended the funeral.
Also present were TDs Bernard Allen and Deirdre Clune, Senator Dan Boyle, property developer Owen O’Callaghan, outgoing city manager Joe Gavin and county manager MartinRiordan.
Other mourners included Chief Supt Michael Finn, former Assistant Commissioner Adrian Culligan and former county managers Maurice Maloney and Michael Conlon.
Chief mourners were Mr Higgins’s wife Phil and their six children.
Prior to the funeral, Cork City Council held a special meeting to pay tribute to the man who was in charge of the city from 1995 to 2000. Before that, he was Limerick city manager for eight years. He was also assistant city manager in Cork during Joe McHugh’s tenure at the helm there.
"Although city manager for a relatively short time, Jack Higgins achieved much for the city and was a driving force behind the commercial development of Mahon and the re-development of the city centre. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jack’s widow, Phil, and his family at this time," Lord Mayor Cllr Michael O’Connell said. The city’s longest serving councillor, Jim Corr, said Mr Higgins was very proud to be the first Cork-born man to be appointed city manager. "He had great wit. He was committed to his work and he was a great Corkman," Mr Corr said.
Mr Higgins also sat on the board of the Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork for 10 years up to his death and was on the board of the Cork Midsummer Festival.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, August 25, 2010
